Family Guy returns tonight on Fox's Animation Domination block for season 23! It's been a minute since we last saw everyone, so the February 16th premiere episode, "Top Fat," will be a sweet reunion.
The episode will reference the 1986 action movie Top Gun and parody every aspect. In Family Guy's spirit, Peter and the rest of the iconic Quahog residents will become their own recreations of the Top Gun characters, such as Maverick, Ice, and Goose.
Previewing Family Guy season 23 episode 1 "Top Fat"
Everyone is pretty much on flight with the season 23 premiere, including me, as the hiatus was nearly a year. But you know what they say: "The longer you wait, the better it is," so perhaps that's the case here. Seth MacFarlane and his team wanted to project one of the best premieres, and with the time given to them, it appears like they pulled it off.
Fox released the official synopsis ahead of the "Fat Gun" ahead of its premiere:
"This Top Gun parody chronicles Peter as Maverick getting together with Lois as Charlie, the tragic death of Joe as Goose, and Peter as Maverick’s blooming relationship with Chris as Rooster."
There's going to be some Peter shenanigans incorporated throughout, as there usually is with nearly every Family Guy episode. It's one of the reasons why the animated comedy has its subversive charm, and why it's been on the air for 26 years.
I hope that the Brian/Stewie dynamic is added to "Fat Gun" because the dog and baby pairing is another reason why Family Guy has excellent success. Sure, they started off on the wrong paw, but over time, their adventures and their friendship bloomed. It wouldn't be Family Guy without Brian and Stewie.
What other things could you expect from tonight's episode? Expect to see plenty of Top Gun spoofing and hilarious hijinks from everyone. Quagmire might make a move on Lois's character, and even Rupert has a role in the story.
The teddy bear has been given more screen time, and who would've thought that an inanimated toy would have so much focus? I'm not complaining, but I think Rupert's being used as a plot device to cause aggression between Brian and Stewie, as he had in "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Cheater."
How to watch Family Guy "Fat Gun"
Family Guy "Fat Gun" is the season 23 opener and will broadcast tonight on Fox at 8 PM EST/ 7 PM CST. The comedy will kick off Animation Domination's midseason block.
If you can't watch the episode live, you can always stream it (and other Family Guy episodes) the next day on Hulu!